There must be a deep reason why he wanted to topple the CEO of Kim Yuan’s Microelectronics. From what I’ve heard, it was a huge company with several branches across Asia. I knew it because the company where I was working ordered products from them.
I cast a discreet glance at Mr. Mori. Then, when I saw that he was finishing up the food on his plate, I took my free time looking up on Google the name of the CEO of Kim Yuan’s Microelectronics. And my mouth hung open as I saw his name on my phone screen.
Kim Mori.
This couldn’t be a coincidence.
I glanced at the man in front of me, and I saw some features about him similar to Kim Yuan’s CEO.
“A relative?” I asked. I was never good at holding back my mouth.
“Cousins.”
“Oh, why do you have to compete with a relative instead of helping each other?”
“He screwed me up. And as I said, I am already walking on a thin thread until it breaks.” He smirked, looking into the distance blindly.
“You’re so poetic, aren’t you?” I scoffed.
He gazed back at me, holding mine to his for a while. “Ella?”
“Mr.Mori?” He called me out, so I did the same.
“Call me James from now on.”
“James.” He grinned.
“Honestly, I barely have time to get everything settled. So, I won’t keep secrets between us anymore. I need to tell you something, but let’s orient you to your new responsibilities after this. Jamella, both the restaurants and the micro tech company, are all in your name, so I am saved from the hassle of transferring names. Anyway, it’s always part of the plan.”
I murmured inwardly. Just go directly to the point, my goodness!
“In the name of your father and mine’s friendship, the businesses are all yours now. I won’t take a single penny. Anyway, it won’t be long.”
I narrowed my gaze at him. I started to hate the circles he was making around himself, but I couldn’t deny the glints of pain and sincerity in his eyes.
I changed my position, tilting my head to the right side as I gave him my full attention.
“Ella, your father helped me hide from a crime I did some years ago. He shouldn’t have done it because it would drag his name and sully his reputation. But he didn’t mind it. All he thought at the time was to save me. Whatever it was, you shouldn’t know anymore. It’s all in the past.”
I sighed. He only had a few minutes left before I’d storm out of the room. Because I began to think he was drunk and was in no way getting sober anytime soon.
“Are you with me?” he suddenly asked, perhaps sensing my boredom through my narrowed gaze.
“Of course.”
He gestured his hand outward, then continued, “Because of that friendship, I’m also giving all my shares to you. So just promise to manage the business properly because that’s what your dad wants after all. And after I fly back to Japan, I’ll never see you again.”
“But,” he continued, “do on my behalf the things I want for the tech company.”
I recalled him telling me how he wanted to play his game. And it’s always to go a step ahead of Kim Yuan’s Microelectronics. But how I was going to do it, I had no idea.
I got lost in my thoughts as I tried to absorb everything that he said. I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears that my dad had left a fortune for me. Those were all too good to be true. And what did this villain just tell me? That he would give his wealth also to me?
“Here,” came his voice, disrupting me from skeptic thoughts of him. I looked up and watched him slide folders in front of me. “Those are proof of your ownership.”
I gave him a short stare before I picked the folders, my hands trembling. I began scanning them. And my heart did some somersault when I indeed saw my name on the documents. I had no idea who, between my father and him, had the biggest investment. But whoever he would be, the share would not be much less than the other.
“This is a huge investment, James. Are you serious about your offer?”
“Of course.” He chuckled afterward, but I saw bitterness flickering in his eyes.
“Why?”
“In the name of friendship, as I said,” he paused, took a deep breath before he continued, “and also because that wealth doesn't matter anymore.”
We only held our gaze for a moment. I felt there was something he wanted to tell me but couldn’t get the courage to say it.
“Ella?”
“Yes.”
“Has it ever occurred to you what Jamella is?”
I pulled my brows together, but then realization dawned on me. He laughed softly as my eyes widened.
“James and Ella,” I murmured under my breath.
After A Year…
“James, this is not funny anymore. You have been ignoring me for the past few months,” I typed on the screen the message I sent him. I had been used to him calling me several times a day, but after a few months, he disappeared into oblivion.
I called and sent him a hundred messages through his private account, but he never replied. My hands then trembled as I felt something strange rushing from within me. And I began to suspect that something may have happened to him. It wouldn’t be a surprise; his world was dangerous, and they could be arrested any time.
I leaned on the backrest of my chair, thinking of some ways to reach him. He never told me the name of his companies, and asking anything about him was taboo for me. I already missed him so much. In those few weeks we had been together as he guided me through my responsibilities, we both fell in love.
A knock on the door kept me back to my senses.
“Come in,” I said, staring at the door frame.
My assistant’s head popped in, and I gestured for her to come over. “Yes, Menchie?”
She stepped inside and closed the door behind her, her face as pale as death.
“Look, Miss Ella,” she said, handing me the tab she’s holding.
I gave her a quick stare before looking at the tab from her hand. My eyes instantly narrowed as I breathed through the heavy pounding of my heartbeats.
“James Mori, the CEO of Giga Spider Corporation, one of the largest trading companies across Asia and Europe, is finally sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment..."
Author's note:
Thank you so much for reading. And please don't forget to hit the star and follow me if you like the story. Would be very happy to hear your thoughts on the comment section.